Four homes win Rockingham Old House Awards

Kenneth Ferner and Susan Jefferson repainted the exterior of their Queen Anne home at 36 Atkinson St. in Bellows Falls, rebuilt one of the porches and repaired the roof.
(Submitted photo)

ROCKINGHAM -- The results are in.

The Rockingham Historical Commission decided a few months ago to revive, after a short hiatus, a series of awards celebrating residents and property owners who are restoring or renewing their historic houses and commercial buildings, and four structures were recently announced as the winners of the Old Rockingham House Awards.

Chris and Jennifer Moore, Kenneth Ferner and Susan Jefferson, Jon Midura, and Windham Development Group were the ones the historical commission felt have most maintained the town's architectural beauty. Christy Hotaling, the Certified Local Government coordinator in Rockingham, said these property owners have made significant improvements, repairs or renovations to their structures. All recipients had been nominated by members of the community.

"It's important to recognize and celebrate the work that these individuals have done to their properties as it preserves our community's vibrant past and in doing so improves the feel of the whole community," Hotaling told the Reformer in July, when she first began seeking submissions.

According to a statement from Hotaling, the Moores recently completed an extensive renovation of their vernacular Greek Revival home, known as the Roux-Kelly House, at 2 School Street Place in Saxtons River. The home was built in 1840 and between 1887 and 1902, Vermont Academy Professor Louis C.A. Roux maintained it as a dormitory for his French-language students, earning it the name "La Maison Francaise.

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Ferner and Jefferson repainted the exterior of their Queen Anne home at 36 Atkinson St. in Bellows Falls, rebuilt one of the porches and repaired the roof. The building was constructed in 1892 for Frank G. Pierce, a prominent local businessman.

Midura repainted and replaced the roof of his Queen Anne home at 14 Hadley St. in Bellows Falls over the summer. Known as the "Sparrow-Frederick House," it was built in 1900 as a two-family home. The Sparrow and Frederick families were two of the original renters.

The former Windham Hotel at 28 The Square in Bellows Falls has undergone extensive renovations over the past few years under the Windham Development Group's ownership. It is a three-story Georgian Revival built between 1932 and 1933 to replace a larger predecessor, which was destroyed in a fire in 1932. The building is now home to Popolo restaurant.

Domenic Poli can be reached at dpoli@reformer.com; or 802-254-2311, ext. 277. You can follow Domenic on Twitter @dpoli_reformer.

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